Acid Witch: Stoned (2010)

The other day I covered Vanik and referenced Acid Witch.  Now that was not because the bands are musically similar, they are not, but because both bands have a similar aesthetic.  They are old-school-sounding bands with a fascination for horror themes.  But where Vanik is more of a speed/heavy metal band, Acid Witch plays a much slower form of psychedelic doom metal.

Probably the best comparison for Acid Witch is a more aggressive, snarling Electric Wizard, without the affinity for lengthy trance sections.  While both bands' drugs of choice are likely marijuana, Acid Witch prefers it laced with cocaine and LSD. 

The album kicks off with a suitably creepy intro featuring a Halloween-sounding keyboard melody and some voiceover talking about Satanic masses.  It then segues into "Witchfynder Finder", a song that pays tribute to Cathedral, a major influence on the band, and the classic Vincent Price movie.  It sets the tone for the rest of the album.  The songs are usually somewhat fast-paced, simple and never carry on too long, which is a significant departure from Electric Wizard's sound.  The riffs are generally fuzzy with a lot of reverb and awash with doom and gloom.  The vocals are typically delivered in an almost black metal-sounding growl, which is an interesting stylistic decision that is somewhat unique to such a doom metal band.

This is now the second album I have heard from Acid Witch.  I think I probably prefer the previous one, Witchtanic Hallucinations, but this is still a damn fun ride.  It would make the perfect soundtrack for a Halloween night in.